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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer."

~Albert Camus

Day 52: NOTICE ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS AROUND ME

Winter is my least favorite season. I despise being cold, I prefer flip-flops to snow boots, and I’m resentful that I can’t let my kids run off their energy at the park. Winter offers no vivid, color-changing leaves like Autumn. It boasts no budding flowers like Spring. And just try to find a flash of Summer’s fireflies. I’ve never been afflicted by seasonal affective disorder, but with the dreariness of this unusually cold and snowy winter, I can certainly understand why some people are.

Today is one of those days when it’s best not to leave the house. I awoke this morning to a dusting of snow on the ground, and within a couple of hours, the capricious clouds couldn’t decide what they wanted to spit down. The mixture of rain and snow was turning everything into slush. The sky was grey, the wind was biting, and all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and wrap myself in a toasty blanket.

So it was the perfect day to challenge myself to execute a search and rescue mission for all the beautiful things that are all around me but are currently hiding under a layer of slush. And in a day full of ugliness, I indeed found a world of beauty.

When I put on my rose-colored glasses, the chunky snowflakes I watched falling in the darkness of early morning resembled creamy drops of vanilla ice cream. The slush that had collected on the sun roof of my car suddenly looked like clumps of sparkling diamonds. My perspiration-soaked towel that mopped my face during spinning class transformed into a symbol of hard work and determination. The lump of Play Doh smushed into my carpet was actually a piece of my daughter’s growing ingenuity and dexterity. The bubbling venison chili in my slow cooker reminded me of the nourishment I provide my family. The list could go on and on.

There truly is beauty everywhere. Sometimes you just need to squint and look a little closer to find it.